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History of the Gajrajs (fullahs)|
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CEO GGG Location: SugaRi diL
Registered:: October 07, 2004
Posts: 54556
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holy crap bhaijan, am curious to read more now...wonderin de intersecting Street whea dis pharmacy been |
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CEO GGG Location: SugaRi diL
Registered:: October 07, 2004
Posts: 54556
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Gajraj
Oral history states that three brothers Nisbat, Gajraj and Manraj came onboard the same boat from India to work as Indentured laborers in British Guiana. There is no documentation to support this, but these were not their given names. "To begin with they were from the city of Allahabad, of which I think was located in the province of what is now Uttar Pradesh. [Allahabad is a city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The name, meaning "City of Allah", was given to the city by the Mughal Emperor Akbar in 1583. In Indian alphabets it is spelt "Ilahabad": "ilah" is Arabic for "God", and "-abad" is Persian for "place of".] Khoda Baksh, was the eldest Brother who took the name of Nisbat in Calcutta. Karim Baksh, was the second brother who took the name of Gajraj and Rahim Baksh was the last brother who took the name of Manraj. Their father had died, leaving them to his brother (who was a Captain in the Indian Army) as guardian. As fate would have it, the uncle's wife (chachee) did not relish the idea that she had the burden of taking care of these 3 boys, and so whenever they played any pranks, she would complain to her husband, the uncle(chacha), who being an army man, would give the corporal punishment. As such he was a very strict disciplinarian. As time went by, the punishment got overbearing and when they were about in their late teens decided to escape and went to Calcutta, there they found these agents who were recruiting workers for British Guiana, and so they seized the opportunity and enlisted at Calcutta. The name change was done so that their Uncle could never track them down. On arriving in British Guiana, My Grandfather - Manraj was bound for Plantation Mons Repos, East Coast Demerara, as told by my Mother, where he spent his 5 years of indentureship. I do not know if the other brothers were bound there too, but I do know that after their indentureship they lived closely together in Georgetown, where they all went into business on Water Street around the Bentic street area. By now, my mother's Grandmother (Naanee) who also came from India, was apparently bound for Plantation Lusignan, she was married I believe, in Guyana and had 3 daughters, whose names were as follows:- The Eldest was named Manturan The second was named Imaaman and The third was named Jaanki. The brothers decided to get married before their indentureship was up. And so it was that: Nisbat, the eldest brother, got married to Imaaman the 2nd sister. Manraj, the youngest brother, got married to Manturan the eldest sister. Gajraj, the second brother, married someone else, and Jaanki the 3rd sister, got married to Najeer and remained living in Lusignan near her Mother. My Mother's grandmother was a Hindu, but it would seem that her husband was a Muslim, as all her sons-in-law were Muslims. I do not know anything about my Mother's Grandfather (Naana), as to whether he went back to India or died in Guyana. My knowledge is only that the old lady had these 3 daughters, who lived in Lusignan and had a shop over the line going on the road to the estate, where M.H. Najeer took it over after she died." |
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Indiana Jones Location: Alberta, Canada
Registered:: May 02, 2007
Posts: 6596
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From recent discussions, I gathered that this property at Broad and Charles Streer, opposite Dolphin Government School, still exist. |
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Indiana Jones Location: Alberta, Canada
Registered:: May 02, 2007
Posts: 6596
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Cuzo Freaky, this could be one of three locations. 1. Regent Street just one block east of Bourda Market on ths side of the cemetary, or 2. On Regent Street and High Street corner, or 3. On Regent Street closer to King Street. Those are the places that I know where that family had and possible still has properties. |
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CEO GGG Location: SugaRi diL
Registered:: October 07, 2004
Posts: 54556
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a got excited cause my relatives had a pharm at de corner of Regent and Cummings Sts. It's no longer there...
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Indiana Jones Location: Alberta, Canada
Registered:: May 02, 2007
Posts: 6596
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This one is close to the one I described as No.1 in my last post. The one you are referring is oblequely opposit the one I mentioned. I vaguely rememberd the one in question which caught your interest. |
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Active Member Location: wherever there is good food
Registered:: February 15, 2007
Posts: 10519
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[QUOTE]Originally posted by Jansher:
General Notes: General Notes: General Notes: This is the spelling as registered at the birth certificate office. On his Son Sonny Birth certificate it states "Nissibtally, his X mark, 304 Sonkar 1873 Occupier of 9Water Street”. There were three brothers that came from Ajmere(also spelled as "Ajmer) H.B. Gagraj had a name plate in his home with the name "Ajmere House" in honour of the roots of the family. His grandson Raphiq, is in possession of that name plate. H.B went back to the village in search of his family, but was unsuccessful. There are several different stories of where in India the brothers came from. This is the most credible. There is an Ajmere in the state of Rajasthan in India. More research is needed to confirm if this is correct . Their names were Nissbeth, Gajrag and Manrag. Jansher: my mom is from the Manraj clan. Rumor has it..and I cant verify this..that they were given those names because they were involved in the indian mutiny and assumed hindu names afterwards...considering that my grandad was a policeman....and a high ranking one at that..and since the brits did NOT give out such positions easily...one wonders... |
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Active Member Location: wherever there is good food
Registered:: February 15, 2007
Posts: 10519
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Jansher bhai: u need to get in contact with my cousin, Hafeez manraj. If you visit TO, you should talk to my mom or my aunty Zally...she married into the Misir family from Enmore...they Misirs are brahmins..
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| <BK>
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Jansher,
Two weeks ago marked the 150th Anniversary of the "MEERUT" uprising also known as the Sepoy Mutiny as well as the first war for independence. http://guyanafriends.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/860604972/m/50210415041 |
| <Jansher>
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Very much so and the Muslims lead led the pack. |
| <BK>
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holy shit! very interesting indeed |
| <BK>
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Reds, I prefer not to get into any further details on these folks.
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Active Member Location: wherever there is good food
Registered:: February 15, 2007
Posts: 10519
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Since I assume that they were the only family in Enmore...hmmm..If your mom knows Uncle Harry then....one brother was a pandit in campbellville... |
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Active Member Location: Hell
Registered:: May 09, 2001
Posts: 14194
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am told the afghan military opposition against the brits comprised of a unified moslem/sikh groups. It seems back in the earlier days afghans comprised of moslems and sikhs , they often inter-married , which united tribes and clans .My great great aja was married to an iranian afghan woman named Ahilya , they were horse breeders like my great great aja and his son Burkhan also married a moslem , it seems back then the moslem and sikhs lived in real harmony in afghanistan . |
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Active Member Location: wherever there is good food
Registered:: February 15, 2007
Posts: 10519
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Active Member Location: Hell
Registered:: May 09, 2001
Posts: 14194
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sikhs / punjabs of afghan region were more turkic and mongolian in nature and not as Indian as many assume.
Khalsa , or the sikh baptismal/initiation of warriors , began long before the the moghul Aurangzeb demanded sikhs covert or be put to death. It latter became that exclusive group of saint warriors ( like the Knights Templar) when Aurangzeb demanded sikhs convert or be put to death . When the Mughal empire was defeated by the sikhs and punjab region became sikh ruled by various leaders , Khalsa then became a democratic body which had the power to unseat sikh kings and leaders . IT was like a federation . The punjab region which included Pakistan once embraced afghanistan which saw a large convergence of peopled from the east , west , north and south , these people were nomads trading and breeding animals and they made their own treaties and agreements but it was only in the southern regions of the punjab that the mughals reigned supreme until they were defeated by Khalsa . The afghan regions remained unconquered for centuries even after the sepoy mutiny the region was ungovernable and unmanageable and it remains so unto this day . |
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Active Member Location: wherever there is good food
Registered:: February 15, 2007
Posts: 10519
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